The Bellybuttons – Nostalgia Factory [FUZZKILL]

The Bellybuttons and their Nostalgia Factory EP is the best Fuzzkill release to date.

Right away the check points, Pavement/Weezer/Silver Jews influences are there, but unlike so many it does not feel like a bad copy.

Have to admit I only caught them live recently at The Yummy Fur gig at Mono, but right away I was anticipating hearing the Nostalgia Factory tape.

Recorded at Glasgow’s Green Door Studio the EP kicks off with ‘Why’; the pocket between the bass and drums cuts The Bellybuttons above the rest.

Space and interaction add the groove to the four tracks and bounces and pulls each track along; the breakdown on ‘Why’ is a perfect example that is revisited, and rightly so.

‘One Million Ways’ has the jangly beginnings again falling back to the rhythm section, this time with added Pavement guitars alá Grounded fadeout, which is all fine by me.

The title track thumps its way through rubbery bassline, bending and staccato guitars.

‘Waiting (Hold On)’ with its restrained coda, the arrival of female vocals happily avoids the ditch that male fronted bands commonly do, which is shout/scream at the end.

The Bellybuttons resistance to hit the obvious climax is one of the charms of the group.

A smart band that knows they can impress without really trying and given the quality of the songs on this EP, the results of a long player will be nothing short of astounding if they really try to impress us.